When it comes to smartphones, there is generally something for everyone. Even single companies, if given the opportunity, will gladly offer different phones that bring something different to a wide range of customers. Big displays or smaller ones, sharper screens or something that doesn't require a higher price tag, and so on and so forth. Options make the world go round, and depending on what you want you can typically find it.
And sometimes features or specifications are used to make a phone stand out, especially as a "we have this and the others don't" type of situation. Samsung was more than happy to promote the first smartphone to have a display that supports High Dynamic Range content (the Galaxy Note 7), for instance.
And now, as one of the few remaining manufacturers to do it, Samsung is happy to detail the fact it still has a 3.5mm headphone jack in its flagship smartphone.
I recently watched some folks on Twitter have a bit of a back-and-forth regarding the recently launched --and well received-- HTC U 11, which, as you might already know, doesn't have a 3.5mm headphone jack. The folks defending Samsung's decision to keep it hit all the primary points: It's user hostile to remove it, and the 3.5mm headphone jack is so ubiquitous it should simply be kept around.
And those on HTC's side reiterated the fact that removing the port on the phone frees up some space on the inside, so other improvements can be made, and, in the case of HTC, they throw in some headphones that work with the USB Type-C port and a dongle that supports using 3.5mm headphones.
I'm going to go right ahead and say that I can understand both positions here, and, as far as I'm concerned, this is just one more thing that comes down to personal preference. If you hate dongles and prefer using your 3.5mm headphones, well, going with a phone that doesn't have a 3.5mm headphone jack probably isn't the right way to go. But if you don't mind using the headphones that come in the box with your phone, or picked up a pair that support your phone's single port, then you're all set.
In my case, I just use the headphones that come in the box. I've got better headphones at home, but honestly I'm working towards going completely wireless anyway, so the port situation is something I'm not too concerned about anymore. But that doesn't mean I don't understand where the "other side" is coming from in this argument. I completely get it.
That conversation got me wondering where you all might land on this particular subject. Now that 3.5mm headphone jacks are starting to get whittled out even more from more manufacturers, but there are still options out there that include it, is getting that port a requirement of yours these days? If you're upgrading your phone, does it need to have the 3.5mm headphone jack? Let me know!